Colin Kaepernick is starring in a new 'Just Do It' ad for Nike

Colin Kaepernick on Monday shared an image from what appears to be a new “Just Do It” ad campaign from Nike.

The former NFL quarterback is known for kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games in 2016 to protest racial inequality, a form of protest that drew the ire of President Donald Trump last fall.

Having gone unsigned since the 2016 season, he’s brought a lawsuit accusing NFL owners of colluding to keep him out of the league.

Nike has represented Kaepernick since 2011 but hadn’t featured him in ads for two years, according to ESPN.

It looks as if the former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is starring in a new ad campaign for Nike.

He shared an image on his Twitter account Monday of a close-up of his face with the words “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Nike’s Twitter account later retweeted his post.

This could mean Nike is wading further into the political fray surrounding Kaepernick, who first knelt during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial inequality and police brutality. He is now bringing a lawsuit against the NFL in which he accuses owners of colluding to keep him out of the league.

Speaking at a rally, Trump told the crowd: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now, out – he’s fired!'”

Trump has continued to deride the practice, saying that protesting during the anthem is disrespectful to the US flag and military. Various players, teams, and even the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, defended players’ right to kneel, but the issue remains a topic of conversation with the NFL having introduced rules that prohibit kneeling during the anthem.

“Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society,” the company said in a statement after Trump began criticising the protests.

The brand isn’t afraid of making a splash. When the French Open banned Serena Williams’ black catsuit in August, the company released an image defending the athlete that said “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.”

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, Gino Fisanotti, told ESPN.

Nike did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the new ad.